How Neuville overcame Rally Japan jeopardy to clinch the WRC crown at last

To be a world champion in motorsport requires skill, resilience and mental fortitude. All of those attributes were in abundance at Rally Japan, where Thierry Neuville finally realised his childhood dream of being crowned as king after one of the most dramatic season finales in World Rally Championship history.

The 2024 WRC season has been turbulent and somewhat complex, thanks to its controversial new points system. But in terms of drama and unpredictability, rallying’s top tier has been off the charts, and Japan provided the perfect illustration. Neuville and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe were tested to the limit and forced to again dig deep to lift rallying’s most coveted prize. "We made it," proclaimed the Hyundai star, who finally laid to rest his ‘bridesmaid’ tag earned through five times finishing as WRC runner-up. "I’m very proud and I’m very happy. It is just a reward for years of fighting and never giving up."

On paper, the culmination of the WRC drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles seemed a foregone conclusion. Neuville needed a mere six points to deny Hyundai team-mate Ott Tanak and claim a career-defining crown, 17 years since he drove an Opel Corsa at Rally Luxembourg in 2007. But in rallying there is always a fine risk-versus-reward balancing act. The smallest issue can often lead to larger consequences. "I'm excited, but excited to finish this rally on a good note," he reckoned prior to the start. "There is nothing more we can do. Everything has been checked and done and the unpredictability will be road condition."

Likewise, in the manufacturers’ title fight, Hyundai appeared in control with a 15-point buffer. It meant Toyota required an “almost perfect” rally, in the words of team principal Jari-Matti Latvala, to salvage silverware. But it seems that nothing has been straightforward this season. And so it proved as Japan’s asphalt roads offered one more drama-filled twist in the tale, and a pressure-filled final stage thriller that will be forever etched in WRC folklore.

In its third year since its return to the WRC, Japan has become renowned as arguably the toughest asphalt event on the calendar courtesy of its demanding, twisty, leaf-covered ribbons of Tarmac lashed with a myriad of grip changes. It’s also fast becoming a blue-riband event in the nation, with popularity boosted by local star Takamoto Katsuta, and hordes of spectators packing into Toyota City to queue patiently for a glimpse of their heroes.

These folk packed into the Toyota Stadium for a head-to-head super special stage to kick off proceedings that was won by the M-Sport Ford of Adrien Fourmaux. It was another box tick for his breakthrough season to lead a WRC rally for the first time in what is tipped as possibly his last event for the team.

Tanak put himself in prime position to challenge Neuville in the drivers' title fight, an opportunity that would open up when his team-mate was hit by turbo failure

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

That overnight 0.5s margin on title contender Tanak was short-lived. The 2019 champion maintained that his main focus in Japan was securing the manufacturers’ title for Hyundai, but there was still a slim mathematical chance lurking in the back of his mind that he could steal the drivers’ honours away from team-mate Neuville. The Estonian and Neuville, making the most of their road positions, quickly emerged as the pacesetters, with the pair sitting first and second after the event’s first traditional stage: Isegami’s Tunnel – one of Japan’s most haunted locations.

It appeared that the Isegami spirits had cast a spell on Toyota, because the team’s manufacturers’ title aspirations were dealt a severe blow with two of its three cars effectively taken out of the victory fight. Sebastien Ogier's run of bad luck continued when he picked up a left-front puncture, costing him two minutes, while Katsuta was able to nurse his GR Yaris to the finish with a tyre off the rim. "I don't know what to do at the moment – I’m speechless honestly,” sighed Ogier. "We had a puncture two years ago in the same area. It’s not easy to find motivation. It doesn't look so good at the moment."

Everything was looking set for a relatively stress-free run to the title for Neuville, who won stage two and surpassed the team’s pace expectations given the enormity of what was at stake. But in typical WRC 2024 fashion, there was an unexpected curveball. Hyundai’s reliability this season has been much improved, with the only issue hitherto to affect Neuville’s i20 N a fuel pressure problem during the brutal Safari Rally. Then, at the worst possible moment, his car suddenly lost power in stage four (Shinshiro, 17.41km). A turbo failure, the like of which the team had never seen before, offered a glimmer of hope to Tanak, who realistically needed an issue for his team-mate and to win the rally to stand any chance of snatching the title. The problem also opened the door slightly for Toyota in the manufacturers’ battle.

"Everything was looking under control [for the team] and then sometimes you are amazed at how quickly things can change around and you are on the back foot" Ott Tanak

With only a tyre-fitting zone punctuating Friday’s stage loops, Hyundai would be unable to fix the turbo. Neuville haemorrhaged more than seven minutes, ending the day outside the points-paying positions in 15th, the best part of eight minutes adrift, after nursing a wounded car through five stages. Not for the first time in his career, he had to fight to keep his dream alive. "It is the worst thing that could happen to us this weekend," he reflected. "I would have preferred to have a puncture than losing seven minutes with a technical issue, but that shows that advantage we built up over the year, those 25 points are really crucial."

The turbo on Neuville’s car was brand new at the start of the rally, which only added to the misfortune. Hyundai apologised to Neuville, who somehow managed to keep his cool despite admitting it was a "big hit" to this title hopes. "This is really a blow and very frustrating as it puts us under pressure and in a difficult situation and for that we want to really apologise to Thierry," said Hyundai WRC programme manager Christian Loriaux. "Despite the problem he still reacted in a very professional way and kept his calm, and he brought the car back without losing his temper, which is admirable."

To add to Hyundai’s woes, Andreas Mikkelsen became the latest victim of Isegami’s Tunnel. The Norwegian, competing in what might be his last event for the team, misjudged a right hander through the second pass of the stage, and that had significant consequences. Mikkelsen lost the rear, clipping the bank, which then fired the car into the trees. While Mikkelsen and co-driver Torstein Eriksen were unscathed, the stage was red-flagged with the Hyundai blocking the road.

Evans kept the pressure on Tanak to lead Toyota's manufacturers' title challenge

Photo by: Toyota Racing

The one shining light for Hyundai was Tanak, who delivered an inspired run through Friday’s stages to hold a 20.9s lead over Elfyn Evans, who’d been left to lead Toyota’s charge. While Tanak was doing all he needed to keep his faint title hopes alive, he professed: "There is nothing to think about. Everything was looking under control [for the team] and then sometimes you are amazed at how quickly things can change around and you are on the back foot."

After battling a brake issue through the morning, Fourmaux benefited from an inspired decision from M-Sport to fit light pods to his Ford Puma – and that of team-mate Gregoire Munster. Delays caused by Mikkelsen’s crash meant the sunlight was fading rapidly, and that, coupled with roads travelling through dense Japanese forest, made visibility challenging. While the Toyota and Hyundai drivers struggled, Fourmaux was able to climb to third by 0.1s from Katsuta, who was under strict team instructions not to take any unnecessary risk. The top six was completed by the recovering Ogier and Munster.

At risk of ending Saturday without any points, which would heap the pressure on of scoring the vital six championship points on Sunday, Neuville was now a man on a mission, with a repaired and fully functioning Hyundai. The Belgian felt that ninth position, which earns two points, was possible, but what eventuated far exceeded his ‘never give up’ expectations. An inspired drive amid huge pressure resulted in the championship leader setting a pace close to that of leader Tanak. Seventh, behind an impressive Munster, and a vital four provisional points was the result, meaning only two points would be required from Super Sunday. "I’m not sure we can cruise," he warned. "I still need to drive fast on Sunday."

The drivers’ and manufacturers’ title fights both looked precarious as Tanak managed to fend off a charge from Evans, who had cut the Estonian’s rally lead to 15.3s. The pair received nominal times for Stage 12 (Ena), which was cancelled before they could tackle it. The reason for its cancellation was deeply concerning – an unauthorised vehicle had managed to break through a marshalled security checkpoint, venture onto the live stage, and drive 520 metres in the opposite direction. Luckily, rally control was alerted, despite a series of communication failings, and red-flagged the stage before Evans could start. It was the second time in three years that a civilian car has managed to enter a live stage at the event.

Following an investigation into what was labelled as a "very serious" safety breach by the FIA, the event organisers were instructed to enact a contingency plan or risk the event being cancelled entirely. A €50,000 fine and an additional €100,000 suspended fine were levied on the organisers after the rally.

Cutting Tanak’s lead to 15.3s was as close as Evans would get to overhauling the rally leader on the road. Set-up struggles that limited the rotation of his GR Yaris left the Welshman unable to challenge an inspired Tanak, who was armed with a comfortable 38s lead. It proved a lifeline for Hyundai’s manufacturers’ title bid as Toyota managed to take four points out of the South Korean marque’s lead, the gap standing at 11 points heading into the final five stages. "It’s not impossible but it will need a maximum performance from everybody and maybe a little bit of support from Ford," reckoned Latvala, who instructed his Toyota drivers to go for maximum attack on Sunday.

The Sunday showdown started in spectacular style. Tanak’s Hyundai understeered at a fast right on stage 17 (Nukata) and rolled. Given how he’d dominated the rally, it stunned everybody. "To be honest it’s a complete f***-up and it shouldn’t have happened," fumed a dejected Tanak, whose retirement meant his hard-earned Saturday points now went directly to new rally leader Evans and Toyota.

Tanak's crashed Hyundai, with Heikki Kovalainen going off at the same spot moments later, handed Neuville the drivers' title and Toyota a vital boost in the manufacturers' fight

Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images

It meant that one title battle was over in an instant – and Neuville’s realisation of his dream came when he received perhaps the most memorable phone call of his career. "We were preparing the car ahead of the next stage, and I got a call from my assistant and he never calls, so I thought something must be wrong and we need to be careful," smiled Neuville. "But I heard a lot of people screaming behind so I understood it was good news. It took a while to realise."

The other consequence of Tanak’s crash was that Hyundai’s manufacturers’ title hopes were hanging in the balance, to the extent that it was level on points with Toyota heading into the final stage of the year. "At least this most stupid points system ever has delivered something!" quipped Ogier.

Without Tanak, Hyundai’s hopes rested on new champion Neuville – now in comfort zone to attack – and the returning Mikkelsen, to go up against Evans, Ogier and Katsuta on the final stage. Mikkelsen laid down a mark despite a brush with a tree, before this effort was bettered by the unleashed Neuville. But it was his perennial title rival Ogier who would steal the show with a mesmerising run through Lake Mikowako (13.98km) to pip the Walloon by 1.9s. It was enough for Toyota to snatch the manufacturers’ crown from under Hyundai’s nose by three points.

"I think I will enjoy it more. There will be a little bit less pressure now as the last box has been ticked" Thierry Neuville

"It has been an amazing story," grinned Latvala, whose squad has won every manufacturers' crown since 2021. "It has probably been the most difficult day of my career as a team principal because it was so nervewracking to follow. My feeling all the time was every corner I saw, I felt like our drivers were going to go off the road. I was scared all the time, but they did a really nice job."

To add to Toyota’s joy, Evans clinched his first win of the season by 1m27.3s from Ogier, while Fourmaux held off Katsuta to claim his fifth podium of a breakout season, with Munster equalling his career best with fifth. "We maybe didn’t always have the performance we wanted during the whole weekend, but we kept trying until the end," summed up Evans.

But the last word from Rally Japan belongs to Neuville, who can now finally call himself a World Rally champion. "I think I will enjoy it more," he predicted. "There will be a little bit less pressure now as the last box has been ticked, and now everything will be a bonus."

Neuville celebrates his maiden WRC crown after over a decade of being rallying's nearly man

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool